Rich Melon - The Outdoor Quest

Friday, March 19, 2010

Traditional Skid Steering

Mechanical skid steer machines are cursed by the same system that gives them their incredible maneuverability. Usually, mechanical skid systems only allow turning when brakes are applied to one side. The major drawback for a mechanical skid steer machine has always been the little course corrections while traveling down the road. It has never been the zero radius turns while picking your way through the woods to load a downed moose that caused the problems but instead just those little adjustments that snap load the drive line from the motor through the Transmission and drive chains and finally the bearings. Hydraulic or hydrostatic skid steer systems can smoothly and effortlessly turn in any direction. It does come at a cost; the pumps needed are expensive and heavy. The oil is expensive and the volume needed adds a lot of weight and then the oil needs a cooling system as well. Quickly the weight and costs drive the hydrostatic System out of the range of the Argo target market. 

Revolutionary Transmission

    Argo engineers took advantage of the research and development available at the home office of Ontario Drive and Gear and came up with a revolutionary transmission that accomplishes much of what the hydrostatic drive system does but mechanically, with-out all the weight, oil, and cost. Dubbed the ADMIRAL the new transmission uses some very complex gearing that includes dual differentials on the output shafts. The transmission is a two speed with High and Low settings. Low gear is the zero radius turn skid steer mode we are all used to. High gear is where all the changes take place. In high gear the power input is split at a 3:1 ratio to the wheels in a turn. In fact the inside wheels can be rotating at 3 miles per hour while the outside turn at 9 mph or any multiple of three. The beauty of this is no more skid steering to make those little course corrections or even major turns; just smooth turns where the machine doesn’t load or bog, it simply and effortlessly turns mostly due to the wheel speed differential. In high gear it isn’t possible to lock up a side of wheels. No zero radius turns but the unit gets around in roughly its own length without all the wear and tear on the brakes and chains. In high gear the 750 HDi drives like a dream, efficiently turning through 95% of the diving the average machine makes in a day and it is just as fun and comfortable to drive as any UTV. 

Impressive Performance

    When the going demands precise pinpoint steering a flip of the lever on the dash engages low gear and zero radius turns are available. With the high and low gear settings in the ADMIRAL transmission, 750 HDi owners can have their cake and eat it too! The HDi is a joy to drive and I quickly didn’t want to put the unit in low gear unless I had to. Skid steering has always been a detriment in bad conditions. Most times if you want to turn out of a bog or hole the track or wheels on the good ground are locked up for the turn and the rotating tires or track are in the junk. Not enough traction and the turn doesn’t take place. Not having to stop the wheels on one side means the Argo navigates even better in swamp and snow areas, allowing the operator to turn out of soft spots without locking up a side and potentially spinning down. The Admiral transmission makes track use effortless even in tall grass and dry clay where skid steering is an immense load on all the drive train. The transmission’s ability to split and transfer power as required through the twin output differentials makes the machine impossibly surefooted, exiting from water and bog even easier than before.  Hill climbing in the snow is a breeze and if you need to turn while climbing you just twist the handles feed in some throttle and power through the turn and up the hill.

40% Efficiency Increase & 20% Maintenance Reduction

With the new transmission the 750 HDi is 40% more efficient with power and you quickly get used to the extra mph, cracking the throttle and using the wheel speed differential to power through turns. Gone this year are the idler prockets and chains. The ADMIRAL transmission is direct drive with the output shafts driving the first and second axle trough double strand chains. Sprockets and chains from this axle go forward and back driving the other axles. The elimination of the idler sprockets and chains reduces the length of the chain used, required maintenance and improves power efficiency. There is no more tightening of the idlers required and one less piece of chain to loosen and multiply the chain slap through the drive line. Just the stress of the idler chains snapping tight and snap loading the next chain adds significantly to wear and tear and maintenance. Now with less chain and stress, maintenance is reduced by up to 20%

Break Wear Reduction.

New this year is dual brake systems. Two steering brakes; a big beefy disk and caliper on each side of the transmission. In addition there are two smaller disks and calipers one to each side as well. The smaller brakes are used for the hand brake and making it easier to use efficiently on long hills. Because of the Admiral transmission the steering brakes are stressed so little now on the machine that the brake cooling fan has been removed. It is remarkable how much the difference the brake usage makes. The steering brake disks on my 750 HDi have some cosmetic surface rust speckling and the brake pads have hardly engaged often enough to wipe that off. Gone are the days of overheating brakes. Of course if you aren’t using the brakes the machine uses power more efficiently. Brake wear is greatly reduced once again lowering maintenance costs. 

 New 25" Argo Tires

There are other improvements to the 750 HDi. Carlisle Tire Company working in conjunction with Argo has designed a new 25 inch tire that looks very similar to the old 22 inch Goodyear Runamuk tire. The Carlisle has the same tread pattern but this is where the similarity ends. The ribs are much deeper giving superior traction in mud and bog and the beefy paddles make this 750 HDi the fastest swimmer in the fleet.

Heavy Duty Axel Extensions
Year round track use is becoming so prevalent that Argo beefed up the axle system to accommodate. The heavy duty
braced front axle extensions have been a standard for years and now the same bracing is found on the rear axles. Extra heavy duty axle hubs are included to take the stress of lug extensions on all axles along with larger improved bearings. The larger axle bearings are encased in heavier bearing carriers and triple sealed. Greasing the outside axle bearings has been greatly simplified by holes in the tire rims. Just line up the hole with the grease nipple and insert the grease gun, it doesn’t get any easier and faster than that. undefined

Stylish Dash Design

On the dash the new information pod tracks rpm, speed, hours, voltage and an odometer in miles or kilometers as well as showing engine temperature and a host of other information. New design molded plastic for the firewall and floor boards are a breeze to remove and reinstall. Steel tie down loops have been added at the rear receiver hitch and at each
front corner of the bearing extensions.

 The Best Amphibious 8x8 Off-Road Vehicle in the World.

The final tally on the 750 HDi is very impressive. The numbers speak loudly; 20% less maintenance, 40% more efficient and 10% faster. For me it is the quality of the ride. Argo has taken direct aim at the upscale UTV market and buyer. Argo improved the ride, handling and speed, injecting a fun side to a machine that built its reputation on hardcore work.